This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Nicole Givens Kurtz will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
I’ve been a professional writer since 1998, when I received my first publishing contract for my debut novel, Browne Candidate. I also have a bachelor’s degree in writing from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I say all that to note that I have over 27 years of writing and critique groups. In addition to my writing experience, I was also a secondary school teacher and teaching coach for 20 years. I have a lot of experience with groups and the art of putting productive groups together.
I’ve participated in critique groups as an undergraduate, as a teacher, and as an instructional coach. The most successful ones were those that provided critique along with empathy. The goals were clearly set at the beginning, and there was an agenda that they followed, a schedule, and guidelines to keep the participants from veering too far off the path. The primary goal was to help strengthen the piece, not tear apart the author.
The critique groups that did not work for me had to do with personality conflicts; moreover, a differing idea of the group’s purpose and focus. Over time, the individuals fell into dysfunctional behaviors such as personal attacks, petty revenge at perceived slights, and complete apathy about anyone else’s work.
The short of it is, writing is a lonely endeavor, but it doesn’t have to be. Working with a healthy critique group can be inspiring, nurturing, and fun. My current group is honest with each other, have shared goals, and care about the success of each other as both a writer and as women. This is not to say that mixed gendered groups cannot be productive. They can!
So, get out there and find your people. Don’t feel bad if the group you’re with is no longer serving your needs. People change and grow. Uproot yourself and find another group of authors and writers to bury your roots with. Remember to seek those who have shared goals, critique with empathy, and has an agenda and schedule. Those are solid indicators of a healthy team.
Good luck!
Cybil Lewis, a private inspector in futuristic D.C., now The District, begrudgingly works with the Territory Alliance agents to track down an escaped violator, Nico Mars. Almost immediately, Cybil is tossed into the District’s gritty underbelly of political ambition, drugs, and betrayal. This case will take her and Jane deep into the reaches of The District’s notorious Sector 12, where life is cheap and currency is king. When her investigation leads back to those responsible for protecting citizens, Cybil discovers she’s in danger. She’s reminded once again that everything can be fabricated.
Enjoy an Excerpt
Lynn sighed in dramatic fashion. “She’s been following the stories in the news files about you for months.”
Agent Winsome yanked down her jacket. “Not just months. Two major political and high-profile cases solved within this last year. I still remember the governor’s case with the souped-up hatchling serum, The Change, a while back. Right?”
“Yeah. Right.” My mouth tasted like I’d been chewing leftover tofu. The Change had destroyed the love of my life, introduced me to Trey, and cast me into the spotlight. “Look, agents–”
“I have been following your career since I joined the T.A.,” Agent Winsome said. “I admire trendsetters in the field, blazing paths for us to follow.”
Did she just call me old?
Well, I was waxing poetic about my wisdom and age. What bothered me more was the contradiction. Didn’t she come in talking about my rudeness and flair for firing my laser gun at folks? But now, with forked tongue, Agent Winsome admired my work?
This whole thing reeked like the Atlantic Ocean’s contaminated banks or the Sector 10 sewer system.
As if to fill the silence, Agent Winsome rushed forward. “But, you’re the best P.I. in The District. That’s why we want you.”
Agent Winsome’s round face remained closed off but attempted to be professional. My concern locked on to Lynn. No way she believed a word of the newer agent’s words.
That made two of us.
About the Author: Nicole Givens Kurtz has been called “a genre polymath who does crime, horror, and Science Fiction and Fantasy (Book Riot).” They’ve named her as one of the 6 Black SFF Indie Writers You Should be Reading, 30 Must-Read SFF Books by Black Authors, and The Best of the West: 8 Alternative History Westerns (Sisters of the Wild Sage). She’s a two-time Atomacon Palmetto Scribe Award winner. With over 20 years in publishing, She’s written for Pseudopod, Apex, Fiyah, White Wolf, The Realm, Baen, Subsume, and MV Media. Nicole has over 50 published short stories, including her story, “The Way Home,” in Marvel®’s Captain America: The Shield of Sam Wilson anthology from Titan Books. Nicole is the author of the Cybil Lewis and Death Violations cybernoir series as well as the Kingdom of Aves fantasy mystery series.
She has conducted workshops for Writer’s Digest Online, Clarion West online, SAGA, and is the owner of Mocha Memoirs Press. She’s the editor for the groundbreaking SLAY: Stories of the Vampire Noire and co-editor of Blackened Roots: An Anthology of the Undead anthology. Nicole is professional level member of SFWA and HWA. You can find her at www.nicolegivenskurtz.net.
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